


Background Noise

by TwinKats



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Behind the Scenes, Gen, Missing Scenes, Multiple Inquisitors, companions talking to each other, different playthroughs and paths, moments after cutscenes, moments that lead to cutscenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2018-03-20 01:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3631545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinKats/pseuds/TwinKats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moments in the Inquisition that lead up to those memorial cutscenes, in no particular order. Mostly a focus on the companions. May also feature various Inquisitors from various playthroughs, or moments where those Inquisitors aren't Inquisitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cullen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen muses on the mess the Right and Left Hands of the Divine had dragged him into now.
> 
> * * *
> 
> References Male!Inquisitor. Set before the cutscene where Cullen scolds the Templars and Mages for fighting.

Cullen poured over the War Table, lips pressed into a frown as he shifted pieces and notes. It hadn’t even been two weeks since the Breach had been stabilized and Cassandra declared them the Inquisition and already the reports and requests for aid seemed to be innumerable. Granted after the debacle that had been the Conclave the Maker-be-damned war between Mages and Templars had kicked off with a vengeance.

Cullen groaned and shook his head. “It’s all useless,” he muttered. “Cassandra what were you thinking?” He still didn’t quite understand it, and if he were honest Cullen didn’t really want to. He just liked having a purpose again, something that held meaning for how little it was worth.

With a sigh Cullen picked up the latest report from Lace Harding who’d been launched into an expedition into the Mire after the forces there hadn’t reported back. The news, of course, was troubling, but then Lace seemed to always bring them troubling news. He’d probably have to pester Leliana into convincing Cassandra into mentioning it to the Herald.

Herald. What a lark. Cullen let out another snort at the thought as he set down the report. Leliana insisted letting the rumors spread, citing them useful towards their goals whatever those were, and Cassandra agreed. Cullen wasn’t about to go against the Right and Left Hand of the Divine. That’d be suicide.

The young elven serving girl who worked under Cassandra raced into the room, startling Cullen out of his thoughts that spiraled around how this whole thing was a fool’s errand and that they should’ve just taken the boy, cut off his hand to save them the headache of a magical power no one understood, and shoved him into some sort of hole. He’d survive, probably.

Cullen sighed. He had a feeling he’d be doing a lot of sighing from now own. “What does Cassandra want now?” he questioned, and turned from the War Table and the notes and the dreaded tactical maneuvering.

“There’s an incident in the courtyard,” the girl gasped. What was her name again? He couldn’t for the life of him remember it. “It needs your attention.”

“Why would an incident need my attention? Can’t someone else handle it?” Cullen grumbled.

“A fight’s about to break out between the mages and the Templars,” the girl continued, her words coming in more of a rush now that she’d caught her breath. “They’re blaming each other for the Divine’s death!”

“Blast and damnation,” Cullen cursed. “Of all the…” Cullen cursed and raced from the room. They didn’t have time for this nonsense.

They weren’t even Templars anymore, for the Maker’s sake!


	2. Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leliana is struck with a thought.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Takes place after the Inquisitors first real conversation with Leliana. References Male!City!Elf!Warden and Male!Rogue!Elf!Inquisitor.

The crisp, cold, air bit across Leliana’s face as she paced within your tent. She missed the lofty, drafty tower that she’d been holed up in before. At least there she could light the fire and read while warmed by its presence. Here? The risk was too great. Settle by the camp and someone could read papers that weren’t meant for their eyes. She closed hers and sighed again.

_“People die all the time.”_

Callous, she wanted to call him. A callous boy with a callous heart. This was not Leliana’s first crisis of faith—she’d had more than her fair share of reconciling devotion to the Maker with hands stained in blood and sin—but did he have to put it that way, when she clearly grieved the loss of the woman who tried to right a wrong? Did he have to put it like that at all?

_“It is how the world is, Leliana. People die all the time.”_

Leliana grit her teeth and forced back the tears. This wasn’t just any old person, though! This was Justinia—this was _her friend_.

_Is it really any different though?_ she wondered. _What was it that Noliyen said to me, all those years ago? Life is fleeting, Leli—life is fleeting._ Leliana scoffed.

_People die all the time._

Leliana breathed out slowly. Why, she wondered, was it always the elves? Every time— _every single time_ —they came at her with a wisdom she did not expect, she did not want.

_Life is fleeting, Leli._

_People die all the time._

“Always right,” Leliana murmured. “You were always right.”

Leliana would learn that this elf, like the elves she knew before, was just as right. She’d wonder why that is—how could the elves in her life always know her better than herself?

_And why is it always the men?_


End file.
